1. Jaw-dropping, eyebrow-arching, eye-watering, stomach-churning and plain disquieting. Such is the content of the
Guinness Book of World Records (GBWR) and today sees the publication of its 48th annual edition.

2. Amid the staggering examples of endurance, skill and dedication are the obligatory madcap entries, such as the loudest burp and the world's fastest ferret. Paul Hunn, from London, stole the burp crown after registering 118.1 decibels - comparable with the noise of an aircraft taking off.

3. Another undoubted star of GBWR 2002 is Donald A Gorske, an American who chomped his way into the record breakers' bible by eating more Big Mac burgers than anyone else in the world. Donald has devoured 17,500 burgers since 1972 but remarkably, the 6' 2" prison officer still only weighs a trim 12st 10lbs. He says 1984 was a "vintage Big Mac year".

4. But who makes you feel the most queasy? Donald or the retired rat-catcher, Ken Edwards from Derbyshire, who notched up a world record after eating 36 medium-sized cockroaches?

5. And there's more zany fare in the shape of belly button fluff foraging. Graham Barker from Australia has been extracting and collecting belly button fluff since 1984 and now has an unparalleled total of 15.41g. He hopes one day to have enough to stuff a pillow. Good luck, Graham.

6. There's also an entry on the tiniest goblet ever made - it is so minute that it could not even hold a single red blood cell. The tumbler, which has been developed by Japanese company NEC, measures a microscopic 2,750 nanometres and is 20,000 times smaller than a normal wine glass. Clearly some people at NEC have a little too much time on their hands.

7. Big Brother star Dean O'Loughlin , (the "deep" Brummie one), has also made it into the GBWR 2002, after his on-screen triumph of creating the tallest free-standing sugar cube tower, which stretched to an impressive 120.1cm.

8. Housemate Paul Ferguson, aka Bubble , was less fortunate and his record for eating sweetcorn kernels (185 in under three minutes) was broken after he left the house. Bubble is said to be gutted and is attempting to regain the record at a book store in Kingston, Surrey, tomorrow.

9. Guinness World Records are getting all high tech on us this year and its website promises interactive and mobile phone based services, allowing readers to download record-related ring tones and inspiring telephone icons.

10. The GBWR even holds its own record: as the best selling copyright book in the world. It has been printed in 23 languages and is available in 100 countries. More than 90m copies have been sold - enough to make even Harry Potter writer JK Rowling green with envy. And you will find plenty of older editions mothballed in attics and filling out the shelves of school libraries across the land.